By News18,Sahas Mahapatra

Copyright news18

Long-time political “gadfly” George Zinn, 71, has been charged with serious offences after authorities discovered records related to child sexual exploitation and found that he circulated a false claim that he had shot conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Law enforcement officials claim that the elderly rabble-rouser, who reportedly impeded Utah authorities’ response after Kirk was shot dead, is now accused of storing “graphic” sexual images of children on his phone, according to the New York Post.
George Zinn’s Claims: “I Shot Charlie Kirk”
Zinn was initially taken into custody at Utah Valley University (UVU) on September 10, shortly after Kirk was shot and killed at an event. Law enforcement claimed that during the commotion that ensued after the killing, Zinn yelled, “I shot him, now shoot me,” twice. Although he was unarmed, the accusation caused instant confusion.
Once in custody, Zinn later admitted he had lied. His stated goal, according to court documents, was to divert police attention from the real shooter by causing chaos, which would allow the real attacker to escape. Zinn also stated that he “wanted to be a martyr for the person who was shot,” according to court documents obtained by Fox 13.
Authorities Found Evidence
Investigators eventually obtained a warrant to search Zinn’s phone. They claimed to have found over 20 photos showing sexual exploitation of youngsters, including children ages 5 to 12, in “various stages of undress and sexual posing.”
“Zinn admitted … that he receives sexual gratification from viewing and sharing [child sexual abuse material] images with others, and that his preferred victim age is 5 to 12 years old,” the Utah County Sheriff’s Office claimed.
Escalation Of George Zinn’s Legal Troubles
Zinn has been charged with obstruction of justice for obstructing the investigation and making a false confession to the Kirk shooting. He also faces four felony counts of sexual exploitation of a minor linked to the discovered child sexual abuse content.
Zinn is being held without bond at Utah County Jail while the investigations into the abuse of juveniles and the murder of Charlie Kirk continue. In addition to exacerbating an already dire situation, prosecutors and law enforcement believe his actions diverted resources during a crucial time.
Meanwhile, authorities have arrested the real suspect in Kirk’s killing, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, who has been charged with aggravated murder and other related felonies. Officials have stated that there is no evidence to suggest that Zinn and Robinson collaborated.